Paragraph 1:40–42
This paragraph tells how Andrew and Simon Peter became disciples of Jesus. Peter is one of the more important characters in the Gospel of John. Introduce him as you introduce an important character in a story.
1:40a–b
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother: Andrew may have been younger than or older than Simon Peter. We do not know. But Simon Peter was the better known among the Christians for whom John was writing. At the time of this story, Jesus had not yet given Simon the name Peter. The mention of Simon Peter here is therefore parenthetical and it may be natural to place it in parentheses:
Andrew (Simon Peter’s brother)
In some languages you may need to include a verb. At the time when John wrote this Gospel, it is probable that both Andrew and Peter were dead. So it is best to use the past tense:
Andrew, ⌊who was⌋ Simon Peter’s brother
Simon Peter’s: Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples. He later became a major leader in the early church. He is also known for denying Jesus when he was arrested. His original name was Simon. In 1:42, Jesus said that he would be called Cephas, which is Peter in Greek. If people will think that Peter is Simon’s last name, you may want to make it clear that both names are used as his first name. For example:
the brother of Simon, who was also called Peter
one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus: Two disciples of John the Baptist had begun following Jesus (1:35–39). In some languages it is more natural to include what John the Baptist had said. For example:
one of the two men who heard John speak ⌊about Jesus⌋ and followed Jesus
-or-
one of the two who began following Jesus when they heard John ⌊call Jesus the Lamb of God⌋
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